Stories From Both Sides Of The Red Desert

Pact Weapons

During the later periods of the Dream War, the Army of Heroes was being beaten at every turn by the Others. It was decided by the leaders of the various factions, that more potent weapons would be needed. As thaumaturgical weapons had little effect on 'Dreamers', it was decided that weapons should be created using the help of the two great powers of the universe: Heaven and Hell. Since holy relics could not be mass produced due to Heaven's lack of cooperation, Hell was approached. Through the auspices of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford a deal was struck with Hell. Thirty-nine major demons, and thousands of minor demons, agreed to bind a small portion of their power to firearms. At first, the firearms were required to be as primitive as possible. However, midway through the process the Colt Firearms company found a way to use the most advanced pistols and rifles available. It was largely due to the use of these weapons that the 'Others' were driven back. After the war the weapons were supposedly collected and placed in a sealed vault. The specifics of the pact that was made in exchange for the power was only known to a handful of individuals at the signing of the agreement.

Each firearm has a Connexio rating, which is the measure of how close the weapon is tied to its demon patron. A pact weapon may only have one power active at one time. Every time the character makes an attack with the weapon, the player may roll the Connexio rating. If the Connexio rating succeeds, the next attack the gun makes also applies the demonic effect. If the roll to attack fails to hit, the player must roll again to reactivate the power.